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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Molecular Genetics
Dna Methylation And The Response To Infection In Introduced House Sparrows, Melanie Gibson
Dna Methylation And The Response To Infection In Introduced House Sparrows, Melanie Gibson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Epigenetics is the study of molecular modification of a genome without changing its base pairs. The most studied type of epigenetic mechanism is DNA methylation, which is capable of turning a gene “on” or “off.” Epigenetic potential is the capacity to which an individual can have methylation on its genome. The more CpGs available, the greater the epigenetic potential. In invasive species, genetic variation has been observed to be paradoxical: not much of it exists on a genomic level, but epigenetically, phenotypic variation can occur. The focus on shift in gene expression in this study is on Toll-Like Receptor 4 …
Amblyomma Quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) (Acari:Ixodidae): First Description Of The Nymphal Stage And Phylogenetic Assessment Of Its Taxonomic Status, Ashleigh V. Riggs
Amblyomma Quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) (Acari:Ixodidae): First Description Of The Nymphal Stage And Phylogenetic Assessment Of Its Taxonomic Status, Ashleigh V. Riggs
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) is a parasite of snakes and is endemic to the Caribbean region. Morphological characters of this species, namely its rudimentary eye structures, have led to debate about its taxonomic status. The species was originally assigned to the genus Aponomma. However, with revisions of the genus Aponomma, and the recent creation of new genera created for some basal former-Aponomma, it has been suggested that perhaps Amblyomma quadricavum might be a close relative of Robertsicus elaphensis, the Trans-Pecos rat snake tick of the southwest United States and New Mexico, another eyeless former-Aponomma species …
Disease Prevalence And The Population Genetic Structure Of Crassostrea Virginica Along The Georgia Coast, Sarah Batchelor
Disease Prevalence And The Population Genetic Structure Of Crassostrea Virginica Along The Georgia Coast, Sarah Batchelor
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an ecologically important species that plays a role in protecting shorelines, water filtration, and providing habitat and food for various fish species. Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nesloni are two pathogens currently affecting oyster populations. These pathogens have both been documented as causes of mass mortality events along the East coast. They greatly diminish the health of oysters, resulting in the degradation of oyster tissue, reduction in growth and reproductive ability, and may cause death. In this study, wild oysters were collected from eleven locations along the Georgia coast to investigate the presence, intensity, …
Impact Of Seasonal And Host-Related Factors On The Intestinal Microbiome And Cestode Community Of Sorex Cinereus And Sorex Monticola, Katelyn D. Cranmer
Impact Of Seasonal And Host-Related Factors On The Intestinal Microbiome And Cestode Community Of Sorex Cinereus And Sorex Monticola, Katelyn D. Cranmer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The intestinal microbiome of mammals plays a significant role in host health and response to environmental stimuli and can include both beneficial native bacteria as well as parasitic worms. In this study, I examined the intestinal cestode and bacterial communities of two closely related species of shrew, Sorex monticola and Sorex cinereus, over a six month period in 2016. Specimens were collected approximately every three weeks from May to October from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Cowles, New Mexico. A total of 79 shrews were prepared with the gastrointestinal tracts removed and flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen. An additional …
Evolutionary Linkage Of Mimetic And Non-Mimetic Color Traits In A Coral Snake Mimicry Complex, John D. Curlis Jr
Evolutionary Linkage Of Mimetic And Non-Mimetic Color Traits In A Coral Snake Mimicry Complex, John D. Curlis Jr
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Color polymorphism in aposematic mimicry systems is a perplexing phenomenon for evolutionary biologists, as theoretically the benefits of converging on a model phenotype should constrain the evolution of phenotypic diversity in these systems (i.e., color polymorphism should not occur). Nevertheless, color polymorphism in mimicry systems is prevalent throughout many taxa. In some of these systems, the evolution of color polymorphism results in the existence of non-mimetic morphs, such as those that are cryptic. The case of ground snakes (Sonora semiannulata) is unique in that color polymorphism encompasses both mimetic and cryptic morphs, as well as individual mimetic and …
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), Matthew H. Seabolt
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), Matthew H. Seabolt
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Amblyomma Koch is a genus of hard-ticks with approximately 130 species. Its geographical range is typical for organisms with a Gondwanan origin. A majority of these species are endemic to the Neo- and Afrotropical regions, with the remaining taxa dispersed throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Based on this distribution, we hypothesize that the genus dispersal patterns will mirror the fragmentation and continental drift of the Gondwanan supercontinent. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and node-dating analyses of nuclear 18S rDNA gene sequences reveal a more recent origin and radiation patterns within the genus and suggest that Amblyomma …
The Behavioral, Biochemical And Genetic Effects Of Sleep Deprivation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jade Catherine Boykin
The Behavioral, Biochemical And Genetic Effects Of Sleep Deprivation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jade Catherine Boykin
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Vertebrate sleep is a universal phenomenon and encompasses an array of conserved behavioral and physiological characteristics. Studies of sleep in humans have shown that sleep deprivation leads to adverse effects to human health and additional stress. Teleosts have emerged as a useful model species to study the vertebrate stress response, given its stress axis has high levels of homology with the mammals, including humans. For this study, the behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) subjected to acute (24 hours) and chronic (20 days) extended light exposure was monitored and whole-body cortisol was analyzed as an indication of activation of …
The Role Of Artificial Structures In Facilitating Range Expansion Of The Introduced Barnacle Megabalanus Coccopoma In The Southeastern U.S.A., Alicia M. Reigel
The Role Of Artificial Structures In Facilitating Range Expansion Of The Introduced Barnacle Megabalanus Coccopoma In The Southeastern U.S.A., Alicia M. Reigel
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma is a recent invader of the southeastern U.S.A. from the tropical eastern Pacific. In Georgia, M. coccopoma populations along the immediate coastline often suffer extensive mortality during the winter, but population rebuilding is common after these events suggesting that there may be nearby larval sources. I investigated the hypothesis that artificial structures (i.e., buoys, towers), occurring far enough offshore of Georgia for water temperatures to be moderated by the Gulf Stream, provide refuges for breeding adults of M. coccopoma and can serve as the larval source. I investigated this hypothesis by first developing thirteen microsatellite primer …
Helping To Resolve Taxonomic Conflicts Within The Genus Amblyomma (Acari:Ixodidae) From A Molecular Perspective, Paula Lado
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This work sought to reassess the taxonomic status of Amblyomma parvum Aragao, 1908 and of the A. maculatum group of ticks Camicas, 1998. By using different molecular markers, 12SrDNA, 16SrDNA, DL, COI, COII (mitochondrial) and ITS2 (nuclear), I analyzed the systematic relationships between these taxa and their closest relatives. Phylogenetic analyses by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis were performed in order to determine relationships among species and populations, and to determine the evolutionary history of these ixodids. The data obtained supported the hypothesis of cryptic speciation occurring within A. parvum, with the northern populations of Central America being …
Soil Microbial Community Distributions And Disease Suppressiveness In The Coastal Plain Of Georgia, Michael J. Sabula
Soil Microbial Community Distributions And Disease Suppressiveness In The Coastal Plain Of Georgia, Michael J. Sabula
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study compared the soil microbial communities of three vegetation types in the coastal plain of Georgia: 1. crop land actively in use for agricultural production, 2. transitional grassland in early stages of secondary succession, and 3. pristine unmanaged forest land. Microbial species diversity and quantities of microbial DNA were determined from each of these vegetation types at three separate locations near Statesboro, Georgia. Length heterogeneity PCR(LH-PCR) methods and subsequent analysis of fungal, bacterial, and metazoan communities by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed high within-group similarity by vegetation type, indicating land management intensity and vegetation cover is a strong determining …
The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington
The Prevalence And Effect Of Wolbachia Infection On The Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus Geometricus), Brittany Dane' Arrington
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Wolbachia was recently identified in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus). This symbiont has not previously been found in this genus, therefore the consequences on the host’s population dynamics are unknown. The frequency of endosymbiont infection can provide insight into the population dynamics of the host as this bacteria is known to alter host life history. In my 1st chapter I determine the prevalence of Wolbachia pipentis infection in in the Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus) from five locations in the Southeastern United States. Infection frequency differed significantly among sampling locations, ranging from 20% to …
The Tick Genus Amblyomma In Africa: Phylogeny And Mutilocus Dna Barcoding, Omobolanle Kushimo
The Tick Genus Amblyomma In Africa: Phylogeny And Mutilocus Dna Barcoding, Omobolanle Kushimo
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The tick genus Amblyomma includes approximately 130 species, 28 of which are found on the African continent and/ or in Madagascar. In order to understand the evolutionary phylogeography of the genus, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the relationships between African taxa. Therefore, the main goals of this work were to, (1) reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the African Amblyomma available to us and (2) test markers for their usefulness as barcoding tools to link unknown immature specimens to their corresponding adults. The mitochondrial gene markers used in this study (12SrDNA and COI) did not resolve the …